PACIFIC WORLD Journal of the Institute of Buddhist Studies
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PACIFIC WORLD Journal of the Institute of Buddhist Studies Third Series Number 11 Fall 2009 Special Issue Celebrating the Sixtieth Anniversary of the Institute of Buddhist Studies 1949–2009 Pacific World is an annual journal in English devoted to the dissemination of his- torical, textual, critical, and interpretive articles on Buddhism generally and Shinshu Buddhism particularly to both academic and lay readerships. The journal is distributed free of charge. Articles for consideration by the Pacific World are welcomed and are to be submitted in English and addressed to the Editor, Pacific World, 2140 Durant Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704-1589, USA. Acknowledgment: This annual publication is made possible by the donation of BDK America of Berkeley, California. Guidelines for Authors: Manuscripts (approximately twenty standard pages) should be typed double-spaced with 1-inch margins. Notes are to be endnotes with full biblio- graphic information in the note first mentioning a work, i.e., no separate bibliography. See The Chicago Manual of Style (15th edition), University of Chicago Press, §16.3 ff. Authors are responsible for the accuracy of all quotations and for supplying complete references. Please e-mail electronic version in both formatted and plain text, if possible. Manuscripts should be submitted by February 1st. Foreign words should be underlined and marked with proper diacriticals, except for the following: bodhisattva, buddha/Buddha, karma, nirvana, samsara, sangha, yoga. Romanized Chinese follows Pinyin system (except in special cases); romanized Japanese, the modified Hepburn system. Japanese/Chinese names are given surname first, omit- ting honorifics. Ideographs preferably should be restricted to notes. Editorial Committee reserves the right to standardize use of or omit diacriticals. Conventionalized English form of sutra title may be used if initially identified in original or full form in text or note. Editorial Committee reserves the right to edit all submis- sions. Upon request, page proofs may be reviewed by the author. Include institutional affiliation and position, or present status/occupation and place. All manuscripts submitted for publication become the property of Pacific World. By agreeing to publication in the Pacific World, authors give the journal and the In- stitute of Buddhist Studies an unlimited license to publish and reprint the essay. This license includes, but is not limited to, any media format (hard copy, electronic, etc.), and international rights. Copyright remains the author’s. EDITORIAL COMMITTEE Richard K. Payne, Chair David Matsumoto Eisho Nasu Natalie Quli Scott Mitchell ASSISTANT EDITOR Natalie Quli BOOK REvIEW EDITOR Scott Mitchell REVERSE TITLE PAGE iv PACIFIC WORLD Journal of the Institute of Buddhist Studies Third Series, Number 11 Fall 2009 CONTENTS The Lord of All Virtues HUDAYA KANDAHJAYA 1 Bianhong, Mastermind of Borobudur? HIRAM WOODWARD 25 Theravāda in History PETER SKILLING 61 Tsongkhapa on Tantric Exegetical Authority and Methodology DAVID B. GRAY 95 Nāgārjuna’s Worldview: Relevance for Today KRISTIN LARGEN 119 Pattern Recognition and Analysis in the Chinese Buddhist Canon: A Study of “Original Enlightenment” LEWIS LANCASTER 141 Basing Our Personhood on the Primal vow JUNDO GREGORY GIBBS 183 Shinjin and Social Praxis in Shinran’s Thought TAKAMARO SHIGARAKI, TRANS. DAVID MATSUMOTO 193 The Metaphor of “Ocean” in Shinran TAKANORI SUGIOKA, TRANS. MARK UNNO 219 World Macrohistory and Shinran’s Literacy GALEN AMSTUTZ 229 v The Daoist Facet of Kinpusen and Sugawara no Michizane Worship in the Dōken Shōnin Meidoki: A Translation of the Dōken Shōnin Meidoki TAKUYA HINO 273 The Taoist Priest (Daoshi) in Comparative Historical Perspective: A Critical Analysis RUSSELL KIRKLAND 307 Pì xiè jí 闢邪集: Collected Refutations of Heterodoxy by Ouyi Zhixu (蕅益智旭, 1599–1655) CHARLES B. JONES 351 Initiation and the Chinese Hevajra-tantra (T. 18, 892) CHARLES WILLEMEN 409 A Comparison of the Tibetan and Shingon Homas RICHARD K. PAYNE 417 BOOK REvIEW Readings of the Lotus Sūtra, eds. Stephen Teiser and Jacqueline Stone TAIGEN DAN LEIGHTON 451 BDK ENGLISH TRIPIṭAKA SERIES: A PROGRESS REPORT 459 vi The Lord of All Virtues1 Hudaya Kandahjaya Numata Center, Berkeley The name Śrī GhananāTha appears on a Javanese stone inscription, known as the Kayumwungan inscription, but today this epithet is so obscure that we can hardly understand its significance or why the poet chose it at all.2 Nonetheless, a lead-bronze inscription and small clay votive stūpas dug out during the second Borobudur restoration project—which have been hitherto not utilized in analysis of the monument—pave the way to better understanding of this elusive name and of Borobudur Buddhism. They are critical for decoding verses of the Kayumwungan inscription that are otherwise not self- explanatory, and also for decoding mysterious phrases in other evidence, such as the terms stūpa-prāsāda in the Old Javanese text the Sang Hyang Kamahāyānikan, and Bhūmisambhāra in the Tri Tepusan inscription. a clearer understanding of “Śrī Ghananātha” helps in explaining the architecture, visual symbolism, and textual data embedded in Borobudur. These elements, in turn, help to demonstrate that Śrī Ghananātha likely means the Lord of all Virtues as applied to Borobudur. This is in conformity with supporting passages in the Kayumwungan inscription. The intimate bond between the inscription and Borobudur is fortified, and the Kayumwungan inscription may indeed be considered the consecration manifesto of Borobudur. I shall limit this report of work in progress to discuss the following three topics, i.e., inception of the Mantranaya in Java; the numinous as seen in the Kūṭāgāra, tree, and stūpa; and finally the multitude of virtues of Sugata. These topics assist us in grasping the sophisticated link between the idea behind Śrī Ghananātha and the scheme underlying the construction of Borobudur. 1 2 Pacific World InCePTIOn OF The manTranaYa In JaVa The lead-bronze inscription was excavated in 1974 from the plain less than 100 meters west of Borobudur. A large number of small clay votive stūpas were also dug out from the same area. reports on this discovery were published in 1976 and 1979, respectively.3 Boechari dated the votive stūpas to at least the second half of the ninth century and the lead-bronze inscription to a decade or two earlier. Boechari published his transcription of the inscription in 1976. A lot remains to be done to improve his readings, but for the time being I have to be content with his initial attempt.4 Given Boechari’s readings, it appears that some of the lines in this inscription correspond with verses preserved in a Balinese stuti called the Nava-Kampa, or “The ninefold Tremble.”5 So far, the origin of Nava- Kampa verses is unknown. But some lines of this stuti can be found in a number of dhāraṇīs. Of particular interest, the Susiddhikara-sūtra,6 a text known from the Chinese translation of 726, includes phrases parallel to those at the beginning of the Nava-Kampa. Moreover, the Nava-Kampa seems to suggest that after recitation there would be brought about perfection in all actions (sarva-karma-siddhi-karam āvartayiṣyāmi), which is somewhat in line with the title and purpose of the Susiddhikara-sūtra. Thus, it looks that the kind of dhāraṇīs represented by the Nava-Kampa originated in the cycle or family of this sutra (see table 1). A number of implications follow from these correspondences. First, in terms of dating, agreement between the inscription and the Balinese Nava-Kampa indicates that Sanskrit texts from Balinese sources may date from as early as the ninth century. This indication is of great consequence for the study of early Javanese Buddhism, for which there is so little written evidence. But now one can resort to old Balinese sources to look for possible evidence with greater confidence.7 This reminds us of Stutterheim’s proposal to employ the Sang Hyang Kamahāyānikan—which comes down to us from the Balinese tradition— for the study of Borobudur. Back then his proposal stood only on top of Goris’s conclusion on linguistic grounds, which suggested that the older parts of the Sang Hyang Kamahāyānikan might have already existed before the Javanese King Siṇḍok (r. 929–947).8 Today we have a body of archaeological evidence to support the early dating of the Sang Hyang Kamahāyānikan and to seriously consider this text as being strongly connected to Borobudur. Kandahjaya: The Lord of All Virtues 3 Second, the connection with the Susiddhikara-sūtra opens up an- other dimension to this archaeological evidence. While a Sanskrit man- uscript of this sutra is yet to be found, the Chinese translation done by Śubhākarasiṃha in 726 is available. This sutra clearly belongs to a school upholding Mantranaya. We read in the chapter of “Selection of the Site” that this sutra considers the Buddha’s eight great stūpas as excellent sites for reciting mantras and gaining success.9 These stūpas are especially praised in the text known as the Aṣṭamahāsthāna-caitya- vandanā-stava.10 The Himalayan living tradition indicates that the ritual involving these eight great stūpas leads to the production of stūpa tsa- tsa, or votive tablets in the shape of stūpas, not unlike those unearthed near Borobudur. In other words, the inscription and the votive stūpas turn out to be tightly interrelated archaeological evidence point- ing to a Mantranaya environment around the time Borobudur was being constructed. Furthermore, given that one part of the Sang Hyang Kamahāyānikan is titled the “Sang hyang Kamahāyānan mantranaya,” the connection between this Javanese compendium and Borobudur is strengthened. Such a connection becomes more significant as the con- tents of this text seem to be in agreement with Borobudur symbolism. Third, with the help of the Nava-Kampa, one line of Boechari’s read- ings of the lead-bronze inscription may be construed as Namo Bhagavate Mahāvajra-dhara svāhā. As such, it indicates that the Buddhists of Borobudur knew the term vajradhara.